CHAMPAGNE STILL DECLINING ON THE DOMESTIC MARKET. THE GOOD NEWS COMES FROM ABROAD WHERE EXPORTS GREW IN 2014: 308 MILLION BOTTLES SOLD AND 4.5 BILLION EUROS IN TURNOVER

Champagne continues its decline on the domestic market, but the good news, after two trying years, comes from abroad where exports grew in 2014. The data is not yet official, but sales are estimated at about 308 million bottles (1% more than 2013) and a 3% increase in turnover at 4.5 billion euros, just under the 2007 record (4.56 billion), thanks to the boom on consolidated markets like the US, the UK and Australia.

“2014 has been a year of economic recovery, with a slight increase in volume, but exports is still the best performer”, Bruno Paillard, CEO of Lanson BCC told Wine-Searcher. However, some Champagne maisons are quite worried because for the fourth consecutive year domestic consumption is on a decline, even though most of the vignerons are happy about its performance abroad. Jean-Marie Barillere, president of the Union of the Maisons of Champagne, said that France was probably the only market on a decline (between 2 and 3%) in 2014.

The UK, one of the most important historic markets for the French bubbles, has led the comeback of Champagne, considering that one bottle in 10 is sold in the UK, thanks to great sales in bars and restaurants in London.
Sales in Germany and in southern Europe have done very well also, especially in Italy, after a 14% decline in 2013. Beyond European borders, the economic recovery in the US has brought back the taste for Champagne and sales are going very well in Japan and Australia, too. These countries are also willing to pay higher than average prices.
Champagne can be considered the most famous wine in the world, even though it is a small segment of a much larger market of sparkling wines, which in turn is just a fraction of the entire wine market. Wine has grown exponentially in popularity over the last 10 years, but total world consumption has increased 4%, while sparkling wines have increased 30% and 15.4 million hectoliters, according to data from OIV – The International Organization of Wine and Vines.
Sparkling wines are mainly produced in Old World countries like France, Italy, Spain and Germany, but competition in the New World is growing and in the last 10 years production has increased 25% in the US and tripled in Argentina. Today, several Champagne maisons have established wineries in California where they are producing high quality sparkling wines using the classic method.